Electric switch



, R. H. CONTY ELECTRIC SWITCH Feb. 15, 1927.

Filed Oct. 26, 1925 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS BY Wqo Patented Feb. 15, 1927.

RENE HENRY;CONTY', OF CHICAGO, IIIlILINOIS.

ELECTRIC SWITCH.

Application filed October 26, 1925.

' My invention relates to improvements in electric switches, more particularly in switches used in connection with brake op "erating devices or automobiles, and it consistsin' the combinations, constructions, and arrangements herein described and claimed.

' The present inventionis designed tobe usedv in connection with a sanding device whichrforms the subject ota co-p-ending 2111-- pli'cation An object'of my inivention is to provide a switch connected with a brakelever, and so constructedthat-the switch may be-actuated independently of the lever, or simultaneous- 1y vwith it-.-

A-further object of my invention is to pro- 'vide a switch of the type described having a relatively stationary-part and a rotatable part .whichmay be moved to bring into en= gagement a contact on the movable part with one on the relatively stationary part.

A further object oi'nmy invention is to provide-a device of thetype described which is simpleiinconstruction. has few parts, and 1s not likely to get out of order easily.

Other objects and advantages will appear in -the following specification, and the; novel features of the invention-will be particularlypointedont-in the appended claims;

- My.invention is illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, formingpart of this ap-. plication, inwhichr Figure 1 s a'sectional view through: a.

switch: constructed according to my invention, as applied toa foot brake lever,

Figure2 is ap lan View of thedevlceshown in, Figurel,

Figure13 is a, sectional view on the line 8+3 'of :Figure .1, v

Figure 4 isya. sectional view on the line 1 1otF;igure1,, j Figure 5 is a detail view of a portion of the deviceyandw 3 Figure 6 is aside view of a modified form of the device.

In carrying out my invention I make use of a brake lever, such as that used on automobiles, trucks, and the like. In the drawing, I have shown a portion of such a lever at 7. In this particular instance, the lever is a rod having a longitudinal bore 8. The lever has an enlarged cylindrical por tion 9 which is provided with an enlarged circular borelO. A casing 11 has a threaded opening arranged to engage the threaded portion 12 of the end 9 of the lever Serial No. 64,993.

A foot-plate 13 of the shape showninw Figure 2 is provided with side'flanges14.,, This footplate has a centralintegralzpor-r tion 15 which is arranged to enterthe bore 6 so as to mount the-plate pivotally. The portion is provided I with; an annular. groove 16 into which the, end of'thesetx screw 17 enters, the construction,beingvsuchjthat the plate may be rotatedonthe mem ber 15 vas a pivot, ,butthe member 15. will; be prevented from longitudinal movement by means of the set screw 17;

The plate 13is provided with'an..insulat-= ing disc 18 on. the undersidethereofijcandl this dischas a contact, such .as-that shown. at 19 in Figure Thecontact19has; a\. counterpart .on the opposite siddoflthe central axis ofthe plate, as shown at. 19%

Mounted within thecasing. 11 T5131 cups- 7 5 shaped slidable member 20 having; a. cen: tral opening 21. This member ismade-of-L insulating material I and ,is provided "on, its outer face with contacts 22, and22i arrrangedto be engagedby the contacts. 19: when the plate, 13 is rotated; on its central. axis. The ends of the contacts 19 and 22; are b'eveled,fas shown, so that when theycome together, there will be a good electrical connect-ion. The'purpose ofithe 0011-,85 tacts 19 and 22 is to counter-balancetthe-p action of the contacts 19 v and 22. Itis of course only necessary-to close the circuit be tween any two of these contacts, but byp r0-. viding the similar contacts 19 and122, the, diflerent positions of the plate 13 willbe par-- allel, whereas without the members 119 and I, 22, there would be a-te'ndency toitiputhe plate and to cause-thepivot member 15. to bind. On the interior of thecasingare spiral springs 23 which bear againstmetalqplate 24, and which tend ,toh-oldit in positionior its, contacts tobe engagedjby. those offthe; plate when, the latterlis' moved] In orderfltoj prevent the rotation of the cup-shaped inem her 20, I provide a set screw 25 which passes through the casing 11, and the end of which is in a slot 26. Surrounding the pivot member 15 is a helical spring 27, one end of which is secured to the pivot member and the 1L. other end to the bottom of the casing 11. Conductors 28 extend through the bore 8 and through the registering bore 15 in the. member 15, these conductors being connected to the respective contacts 19 and 22, as shown in Figure 3.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. Thls switch, as has been previously stated, is designed to be used in connection with an electrically operated sanding device. Normally, the foot is on the foot plate 13, and if it is desired to set the brakes, the foot pedal is depressed in the ordinary manner by pushing downwardly on the plate 13, which will cause a bodily movement of the brake lever 7. If it is desired to actuate the electrical mechanism which operates the sander, then the foot is given a twist so as to rotate the plate 13 in the manner described, and thus bringing into engagement the contacts 19 and 22 and effecting the closure of the circuit through the conductors 28. On the release of the pressure, as by the withdrawal of the foot, or bringing it again to normal position, the spring 27 will tend to return the plate thereby separating the contacts 19 and 22. The stop member 29 on the plate 13 is arranged to engage a stop member 30 on the casing 11 so as to limit the movement of the plate 13, and to restore the plate to its normal position.

In Figure 6, I have shown a modified form of the device in which 31 indicates the handle of a brake lever 32. This handle is pivotally mounted on a reduced extension 33 of the brake lever 32. The handle is preferably made of insulating material, and is provided with a fiat lower end 3 1 having contacts 35 2111f 35 similar to the contacts 19 and 19 in the form shown in Figure 3. The body portion 32 of the brake has an upper insulated end piece 36 having contacts 37 and 37 similar to those shown at 22 and 22 in Figure 3. The extension 33 has an annular groove 38 into which a set screw 39 extends. At 40, I have shown a spiral spring, one end of which is designed to be secured to the handle 31 and the other end to the extension 33 so as to return the handle to its normal position when rotated. The ordinary brake releasing rod is shown at 41.

The operation of this form of the device is as follows: When it is desired to use the emergency brake without closing the electric circuit, it may be pulled in the ordinary manner, but if the hand is twisted, then the contacts 35 and 35 are brought into engagement with the contacts 37 and 37", thereby closing a circuit through the conductors 28* in a manner similar to that already described in connection with Figure 1. On the release of the handle, or on the return of the hand to its normal position, the handle will be rotated back by the spring 40 so as to bring the contacts out of engagement and thus break the circuit.

I claim:

1. The combination with a foot brake lever, of a casing secured at the end thereof, a foot plate having a central pivot portion rotatably carried by the end of said foot brake lever, a spring actuated member within said casing, an insulated contact carried by said spring actuated member, an insulated contact carried by said foot plate, a spring disposed within the casing, one end of said spring being fastened to the casing and the other to the pivot portion of the foot plate, flanges carried. by said foot plate and arranged to be engaged by the foot for rotating the plate to bring the contacts into electrical connection, said pivot portion having an annular groove, and a set screw carried by the foot brake lever, and having a portion arranged to enter the annular groove to prevent the accidental longitudinal movement of the pivot portion, while permitting rotary movement thereof.

2. The combination with a foot brake lever, of a casing secured at the end thereof, a foot plate having a central pivot portion rotatably carried by the end of said foot brake lever. a spring actuated member within said casing, an insulated contact carried by said spring actuated member, an insulated contact carried by said foot plate, a spring disposed within the casing, one end of said spring being fastened to the casing and the other to the pivot portion of the foot plate, flanges carried by said foot plate and arranged to be engaged by the foot for rotating the plate to bring the contacts into electrical connection, and means carried by the casing and arranged to engage the pivot portion for preventing the longitudinal movement of said pivot portion while permitting a rotary movement thereof.

RENE HENRY CONTY. 

